WowHaus

Always a popular place, this apartment in Erno Goldfinger’s Trellick Tower, London W10, is now up for sale.

They don’t come up all that often these days either. I featured one as an Airbnb a while back, but it is something like five years since I spotted one that was being offered for sale. And when they do come along, prices tend to be on the up. The last one I wrote about was a premium affair inside, but it was £100k cheaper than this apartment. Which says everything about the values here.

Of course, the reason so few come up is that the building was designed as social housing, and many apartments are still in use as such. But like other similar developments, more and more units are appearing on the commercial market.

As you probably know, you are looking at a brutalist icon dating back to the late 1960s, but completed in the early 1970s (1972). This is also a building with a Grade II* listing in recognition of its architectural importance. Essentially, this is the ‘poster boy’ (or girl) for brutalism in the UK and as such, is always a popular place to live, as well as a building that divides opinion.

Erno Goldfinger was convinced that Corbusian-influenced high-rise housing was the answer to Britain’s post-war housing problems. Some agreed, but others, including James Bond author Ian Fleming, most certainly didn’t. As a result, one of the most memorable Bond villains took the Goldfinger name.

The 31-storey Trellick Tower was commissioned by the Greater London Council and split into the main block of flats and the imposing service tower.

To maximise living space, Goldfinger moved all the ‘logistical aspects of the design’—lifts, stairs, and even communal laundrettes—into that tower. The heating system and water tanks are here, too, in the plant room at the top. This allows water to run down to the apartments using gravity, minimising the use of piping.

Note also that the windows have been pushed to their largest dimensions for ‘ample natural light’, while many doors slide rather than swing to boost space. There are balconies, too, if your head can cope with them.

The apartment here isn’t too high, though, located on the 8th and 9th floors of the building. It has been recently renovated, but nothing too radical.

Head to the 9th floor for the entrance, which is along one of Trellick Tower’s distinctive tiled corridors.

The accommodation takes in two floors, and within that you will find two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a separate WC and a bathroom.

The apartment retains its original structural layout from Erno Goldfinger’s plan, as well as a number of original features, such as the famous light switches embedded in the doorframes, internal bannisters, and fanlights. Overall, there is a fairly neutral finish across the apartment, and as such, it is something of a blank canvas.

Note that the main living spaces are all south-facing, boosting the natural light within. The living room, which also has space for a dining area, retains its original sliding glass door, which opens directly to the balcony that spans the width of the apartment.

On the balcony is a ‘stable door’ to the kitchen. The kitchen is as neutral as the rest of the space, but also a good size, big enough for a dining area if you need one. A window with views across London as you cook, too.

Some great views from the bedrooms too, this time over treetops and the canal below. One is currently used as an office, but both retain their original built-in wardrobes.

£735,000 is the asking price. Note that the leasehold for this one has been extended, and also the service charge of approximately £5,850 per annum.

Images and details courtesy of The Modern House. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.